2018 Begins, OCS Ends

Welcome to 2018!

We’ll have a full post up soon. Before that though, I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge a milestone coming very soon.

OCS 2007. Office Communications Server. The first iteration of what has now become the Skype for Business ecosystem. This landmark software (problematic as it was) will at last reach End of Life on January 8.

I seriously hope nobody still uses OCS! But if you (somehow) still do, you’re in dire need of an upgrade. End of Life doesn’t mean the software suddenly shuts off. But it does mean you’ll have no support on which to fall back if there’s a problem.

The Best Upgrade Path for OCS Users

For OCS users (as well as older Lync 2010 users), the fastest upgrade path is the best one. Since OCS-grade server hardware won’t comfortably support Skype for Business Server, you’d have to buy new hardware anyway. That would put you on this upgrade path:

OCS → Lync Server 2010 or 2013 → Skype for Business Server 2015

Instead, I recommend moving to the cloud. Set up a new Office 365 tenant with Skype for Business. Fewer steps, shorter launch time, MUCH cheaper up-front licensing cost…and you can use Teams!

2017 Reader Poll Results

Let’s cap this post with the poll results from December. For Poll 1, asking readers what they use for business communication now, the #1 answer by far (25 votes) was: Skype for Business Server. A distant #2 (10 votes) was: Cellphones.

For Poll 2, asking what changes do you see your organization making in 2018, the #1 answer (10 votes) was: Moving to Office 365/Microsoft Teams. Close after that (9 votes) was: No Changes.

Good results! I like that so many readers appreciate their Skype for Business Servers. Thanks to everyone who voted.

Hope everyone had a safe New Year, and great things in store for 2018. I know we have great things planned for the blog, so join us back here next time!

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About the Skype for Business Insider Blog

The Skype4B Insider is a blog about the technology we use to communicate in business today. Here we talk about Microsoft's Skype for Business Server 2015, Lync Server 2013, Unified Communications, Voice over IP and related technologies like Exchange Server. Written by Chris W., MCSE in Communication and PlanetMagpie IT Consulting's Digital Marketing & Communications Manager.